Alcoholics' deficits in the decoding of emotional facial expression

The present study investigated emotional facial expression decoding in alco holics. Twenty-five alcoholic patients at the end of the detoxification pro cess were compared with 25 volunteers matched for age, sex, and education. They were presented with facial expressions of neutral, mild, moderate, or strong emotional intensity. Results indicate that alcoholics overestimate t he intensity of emotional expressions and make more errors in their decodin g with a special bias for anger and contempt. Moreover, this decoding defic it is not perceived by the alcoholic patients. A general model is proposed that links visuospatial deficits, abnormal processing of social information , interpersonal stress, and alcohol abuse.